Comments on: Augment Yourself, Not Your Résumé

By: John Murphy

John Murphy — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:48:50 +0000

Hello Joyce, from John Murphy BIOMED 1969-1995
How are things going in St. Louis, MO. I would love to chat with you. John

By: Trevor @ Financial Nut

Trevor @ Financial Nut — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:28:11 +0000

All depends on what you’re looking for. Often times the catalyst to a career is an MBA from a great school, and it’ll open doors that cannot (or are more difficult to open) otherwise.

By: Funny about Money

Funny about Money — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:24:31 +0000

Thank you! You just confirmed my suspicions that my son is the smartest young dude in the world.

After a decade in the business world, he’d like to pursue a master’s or even a Ph.D. in public administration, but the so-called graduate program the only public university in the nation’s fifth-largest city offers is one of those ersatz night-course & online lash-ups designed to…what? YES! To put another bullet on your resume! His employer would probably cover some or all of the cost. But he says he wants to sit in classes with real professors and actually learn something, full-time, not doze through a night course or online correspondence course after grabbing a miserable dinner at a drive-through.

Quaint idea, eh? Glad to hear that someone who’s been around the block has the same insight.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:24:51 +0000

I graduated in aerospace engineering four years ago and after a few months in the industry, I was so glad that I didn’t make the decision to go to graduate school right out of college. A small percentage had degrees and out of those, it didn’t seem to make one bit of difference in their job performance (and if you ask me, most of them were the ones that weren’t that great at their jobs to begin with and were looking for a way to ‘get ahead’). In engineering fields, nothing beats on the job training. I will probably never pursue a master’s degree. Now, I will only take individual classes that enhance my on the job experience, like visual basic, for example.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:07:53 +0000

Yes, I always see it as a red flag whenever someone says something about a course or training class; why not speak about the merits of the class?

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:53:28 +0000

I couldn’t agree more with you Jim. I hate it when the first thing people say about a course or training is that, “it looks good on your resume”. The whole point of taking training is to learn something, not to put something on your resume. The biggest problem with people putting so much fluff in their resumes that when they go on an interview, they can’t back up what is portrayed on their resume.

By: J. Joyce Perkins

J. Joyce Perkins — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:37:15 +0000

A problem with what you’re saying is that without the bulletpoints, you won’t even get your foot in the door at that new job. Nor that promotion, depending on the size of the company.

A well padded resume is definitely a stepping stone. You can have skill X, but it’s A, hard to measure, even for yourself, and B, who is going to grade that skill? You yourself? Who is going to believe that?

A well padded resume is a tool to open the door. It’s not hard, but it needs to be done, else you’ll be stuck outside. Once you’re in, what you do, and how well you live up to the claims on your resume is up to you.

By: beyondbeermoney

beyondbeermoney — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:18:25 +0000

I’d throw in that many grad schools, especially business schools, don’t WANT you right out of undergrad. The experience that you get on the job (any job) in the years between undergrad and business school is what makes b-school feel relevant and important.

Also, as a former compulsive resume padder that has since converted, I cannot emphasize enough how different it is to do something for the love of it versus to pad your resume. Staying up all night to write posts or research my blog? A blast. Staying up all night to do homework for a degree I’m not inherently interested in? Not such a blast. You’ll not only enjoy the former more, but you’ll be more successful.

By: TStrump

TStrump — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:53:54 +0000

I think it speaks to spending our time doing the things we love, rather than trying to make ourselves employable.
I used to spend so much time taking classes to get a better job, but I lost out on things that I actually enjoyed doing … sometimes these activities or hobbies could indicate the true career we’re meant to follow.

By: SJ

SJ — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:40:42 +0000

Yea, thinking bad a lot of things were done in ugrad just for “padding resume”

In retrospect, it’s double edged if you get called on them =)

But the “it’s good for you” is harder for ugrads to understand lol.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:34:01 +0000

Yes you can do both at once, but too many people do it just to augment the resume and that’s what I think is a mistake. In your case, it sounds like the program is a good fit all around, not just because it has MBA in the name.

By: Steve @ Start-Up

Steve @ Start-Up — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:18:20 +0000

I agree whole heartedly that you should augment yourself and not just your resume. I do think you can do both at the same time. If you plan out your MBA correctly, you can add a great bullet to your resume while taking meaningful classes. I have my eye on a Northwestern MBA program that favors technical managers, specifically within the biomedical field. This is perfect for my preferred career path.

By: JamesV

JamesV — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:07:53 +0000

I had to respond to this great advice. I strongly believe in augmenting yourself, and not just your resume. Head knowledge, and no people/social/leadership skills is not always good. Plus, I do not understand most 21-30 yo’s getting out of college with $60K+ in debt, and expecting a job paying $25K-$45K is going to get them out of that debt anytime soon. Education is good…but our young adults need to keep in mind how they are going to pay it off quickly as well.

By: Corporate Barbarian

Corporate Barbarian — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:03:54 +0000

I earned my MBA over 15 years ago, and haven’t taken another college course. But I strive to continue to keep learning. I guess it’s part of that “well-rounded” thing they talked about in high school. The little things that you do to improve yourself may not show up on a resume, but they add value just the same.

By: My Life ROI

My Life ROI — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:22:58 +0000

I see people mess this one up all the time. Straight out of undergrad going to grad for an MBA.

It adds a bullet to their resumes but they miss out on getting accomplishments and experience that would really make them shine.